Visual metaphor

A visual metaphor is a metaphor the medium of which is visual. Like in any other metaphor, one part of it, usually named "source", applies to another part, usually named "target", and reconstructs it. The point is that the metaphorical application or reconstruction in visual metaphor is made by means of visual tools, forms and compositions. Shimon Levi's and Arieh Cohen Ship Building (known also as Boat House) is an example of visual metaphor: its source is a ship, its target is a building, and the building is ship shaped.^[1] The visual metaphors philosopher Michalle Gal defines metaphor as made of three parts: source, target, and emergent properties which are gained by the combination of the source and target in a new composition, and reconstructs the target anew. According to Gal, and contrary to theories of conceptual metaphor, emergent properties cannot be pre-conceptualized and can be possessed only by the specific metaphor: a ship made of cement applies only to the Ship Building. Gal claims that the emergence is gained thanks to the power of compositions, that supply a context to the elements of metaphor that proffers significance thanks to their organization, mutual relations and influences. For Gal, since the power of metaphorical composition is best embodied by the visual media, visual metaphors are the paradigmatic metaphors and every kind of metaphors, conceptual or linguistic, are based on visuality. ^[2]

There are claims that visual metaphor is pictorial analogy. It illustrates a comparison between what is in the visual, including its connotations and denotations with another thing and its meanings figuratively.^[3] For some visual metaphors the link between the images and what they are being compared to is the physical similarity while others it is the conceptual similarity.^[4] There are similar interpretations of the visual metaphors but each person can comprehend them a bit differently.^[5] There are different types which include: spatial and stylistic. They are also commonly used in advertising because of its ability to persuade.